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Desire versus Decision: The Journey to Change

The desire to change can be instantaneous. You wake up one morning and want something different. You want to be thinner or fitter. You want to feel less anxious. You want consistency. You want to be a better version of you.

However, the desire to change and the journey toward change are two completely different things. The road to achieve actual change is long and messy. Full of potholes and pitfalls, wrong turns and rest stops. Yet, the journey is not hopeless if you keep the destination in mind. One of my favorite Jillian Michaels’ quotes is “why are you doing this — if you can find the reason why you can conquer any how.” So ask yourself, why do you want to change. Once you find that reason, hold on it. When you stumble, remember why you’re doing this, why you’re on this journey. Then pick yourself back up and move forward.

I recently splurged on a new Fitbit. My last one broke a few months ago, and I never replaced it. After only a week of having my new Fitbit, I’ve discovered room for growth. My sleeping habits, for example, are terrible. On average, I’m not hitting above 5 hours of sleep per night. How eye-opening! This is probably one of the things holding me back from hitting weight loss goals. The tricky part will be making steps to change. To replace bad habits with good ones and get the sleep I need every night. I love my new Fitbit, and look forward to the insights it will bring me on my fitness journey.

I’m not perfect. No one is perfect. At the end of the day, we are human. Yes, we make mistakes. But it is essential that we learn to forgive ourselves. For perceived weaknesses. For mistakes. For the desire to give up. Remember, desire and decision are not the same thing. Decide to move forward. Decide to push past lapses of judgement, past mistakes. Decide to put one foot in front of the other. And be kind to yourself. Give yourself time to heal, to change, to grow.

Every one stumbles. The journey is not easy. The journey is not short. Pick yourself up, hold on to your reason why, and keep going. You are capable of more than you know!